Google has undercut Apple by releasing a web-based billing system for publishers, just one day after the Jobsian outfit unveiled its own 30 per cent subscription model.

Mountain View has dubbed the service 'One Pass', but anyone currently attempting to sign up to it might hit an interwebulator roadblock: at time of writing, the button takes you to a "What can we help you with?" support page.

"Readers who purchase from a One Pass publisher can access their content on tablets, smartphones and websites using a single sign-on with an email and password," it said.

"Importantly, the service helps publishers authenticate existing subscribers so that readers don’t have to re-subscribe in order to access their content on new devices."

In other words, Google can farm out subscriber data - such as names and email addresses - to publishers, who can expect a better cut from Google compared with the deal carved out by Apple for its App store yesterday.

Cupertino is forcing magazine and newspaper publishers to cough up 30 per cent of their cover price to pay for Apple's subscription model.

Google, by contrast, is taking a 10 per cent cut of any revenues made by publishers who sign up to the app billing system. Mountain View said it would use its existing Checkout technology to handle the payments.

Currently One Pass is aimed squarely at publishers in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US. Google said it planned to roll out the service to other countries in the coming months. ®